


Everybody talks

by blackm00n5



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 104th Training Corps - Freeform, 104th Training Corps Shenanigans, 4+1, Alive Marco Bott, Eruri Week, Gossip, M/M, POV Outsider, Rumors, the jeanmarco is super small
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-10-01 22:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackm00n5/pseuds/blackm00n5
Summary: The 104th knows there must be something going on between their Captain and their Commander. And really, who can blame them for talking about it?AKA: 4 times something sparked up rumors about Levi and Erwin, plus one time those rumors were confirmed.





	Everybody talks

**Author's Note:**

> Another eruri week fic! I loved this one. It was supposed to be a 5+1 but I couldn't think of a fifth scene because I'm garbage. This is for day 5: Rumors! As always, lemme know if I'm missing any tags.

_ **I** _

“Alright, brats.” Levi announced, standing at the head of the training grounds. Immediately, the murmuring and laughing amongst the cadets ceased and they all stood at attention. Levi stayed silent a moment, looking over them. Giving them a long enough time to perhaps feel vaguely uncomfortable before he nodded. 

“Your form during our last expedition was appalling.” He demanded, and he had to admit he was rather impressed with how few of them winced. He tilted his head, a hand landing on his hip as he looked them over. “You’ve had plenty of training and you have more experience in less than a year than some of the MPs get in a lifetime. I expect you to do better.” 

“Perhaps they’re in need of a demonstration?” The voice came from behind them, and Levi narrowed his eyes when the majority of his cadets all shifted and turned to find the source. 

There was a quiet scattering of gasps as Erwin approached them. A pleasant smile on his face, hands clasped behind his back. He made his way up to the front of the training grounds, eyes not leaving Levi the entire time. Levi’s expression went from vaguely annoyed to almost amused as he turned to face Erwin completely. The hip his hand was resting on cocked out a bit and he raised a brow at the man. It wasn’t unusual to see the Commander wandering around while they were training, checking their progress. But he had yet to actually come close and engage with any of them.

“Are you going to actually get off your ass and start training them, then?” Levi shot back. Tension washed over the young men and women - children, really, but Levi wouldn’t allow himself to call them that after all they’d already had to face - who were standing before them. And that tension turned to shock when Erwin did nothing but chuckle and shake his head.

“Training them is your job, Captain, not mine.” He said, head cocking to the side. A pleasant enough smile on his face but a wicked glint in his eye. 

That tense, shocked silence was laid out over the cadets, watching as their Captain locked eyes with Erwin. Some sort of unspoken challenge hanging between them, harsh and intense and a fair amount of the cadets shifted uncomfortably. The silent staring contest stretched on far longer than was appropriate before Levi let out a little ‘tch’ type of sound and rolled his eyes.

“Then get off my training pitch, Smith.” He demanded, and one could argue it almost sounded fond. “I’ve got some brats to train, unless you think you need a lesson or two?”

Again, Erwin just laughed and held his hands up in surrender. He took a step back, bowing his head just slightly and that was enough for a few of the cadets to stifle little gasps.

“You may never get them up to your standards, but I’m sure you’ll have them up to mine in no time.” He said, his little smile morphing into a grin. For the briefest of moments, a tiny smirk twitched at Levi’s lips before he was waving Erwin off.

“Get the hell off my training pitch.” He repeated. Again, his voice almost seemed fond. 

And again, Erwin just laughed as he turned to walk away, offering a little wave over his shoulder and leaving the cadets confused. 

It wasn’t until later that night, after training and after dinner, that anyone mentioned it. A group of the cadets crammed into the biggest room they had available to them, spread out on beds and on the floor and a few sitting in their significant other’s lap. That awkward tension had been hanging over them all day, all of them curious and confused but none of them willing to say anything when there was even the slightest chance of Levi hearing them. But now, settled down for the night, that curiosity was bubbling over and leaving an excited hum buzzing around them. 

It was Connie who spoke first.

“So what the hell was that between Commander Erwin and the Captain?” He said, breaking the silence. Something about having someone finally mention it made that tension start to melt away, made it a little less heavy and easier to breathe. 

“I don’t know, but I’ve heard some of the higher ups make comments about them.” Krista’s voice was hushed as she spoke, and she glanced around nervously. Ymir placed a warm hand on the back of her neck and squeezed gently.

“Petra told me it was Commander Erwin who got the Captain into the Corps to begin with.” Eren said, brows furrowing a bit. The others shifted to look at him, curiosity seemingly piqued. 

“You’ve seen them together, haven’t you?” Sasha asked him, leaning forward towards him. “When the whole trial thing went down. What were they like with one another?” 

Eren blinked a couple times, then awkwardly rubbed at the back of his head. He had been a little awestruck by them, if he was being honest. So his focus hadn’t been on their interactions with one another, really. He shrugged a bit, looking off to the side as the others all leaned in eagerly to hear his answer.

“I mean, I sort of had bigger things to worry about than how they acted around each other, at the time.” He said, brows furrowing slightly. “I mean, they seemed friendly enough with each other but I don’t really know, it could have been considered professional?” 

Everyone seemed to deflate, and Jean threw a pillow at Eren. Eren threw it right back at him, glowering. What had they expected of him? He was being put on trial, a vast majority of the military had wanted him dead, and they were hoping he’d had the time or presence of mind to examine Captain Levi and Commander Erwin’s interactions? 

“They probably  _ were _ being professional.” Armin said, placing a hand on Eren’s shoulder before he could start up a fight with Jean. “I mean, think about it. They were being thrown into a situation with limited time and information. They had to decide, quickly, if Eren was worth trying to save and how to do it. Even if they are closer than they want us to know, that’s not the situation where they’d let it show.”

Eren relaxed a little bit, the fight draining as he looked at Armin. He smiled a little, relieved that Armin had his back even in such a mundane, ultimately meaningless matter. Because really, as fascinating as the whole thing was, the relationship between Levi and Erwin wasn’t their business and wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things. Sure, the gossiping was fun, and it was mind boggling to think Levi - with his permanent scowl and harsh language, his general aura of ‘don’t come near me’ - could be close to anyone, but it didn’t actually affect them. 

Jean seemed ready to say something else, when there was a sharp rapping at the heavy wooden door. Three knocks, one right after the other, and all of them straightened right up with eyes wide.

“Go to bed. It’s late and you’re all getting up early.” Levi’s voice came, muffled, through the door with the same vaguely annoyed tone he usually had. 

There was a chorus of ‘Yes, Sir’s despite how they could already hear his footsteps as he walked away. They lingered a moment, all looking back and forth between one another, then started on dragging themselves to bed. 

** _II_ **

“So I still don’t get,” Connie rasped out, leaning forward to brace his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. “Why we need to practice fighting each other. We’re fighting titans not people.”

“Reflexes, dumbass.” Jean shoved at his head, arms crossing over his chest. “Some abnormals can be fast, but generally speaking the titans are slower than people. We can react to each other, that means we can react to a titan.” 

They had been training all morning, sparring one another in five minute intervals before moving down the line to a new partner. But, they had been going all morning and it seemed like they were all starting to converge towards the center of the training field. Sweaty and out of breath and ready to take a break. Connie groaned, flopping down onto the ground, and he just groaned again when Jean used his foot to nudge his shoulder.

“Don’t be such a baby, get up.” He huffed. 

“Come on, he’s tired.” Marco touched Jean’s shoulder, and Jean immediately seemed to relax a bit. “He’s allowed a break, we all are.”

“Until the Captain sees us and he yells at us to get back to work.” Eren said, nose scrunching up. His comment was met with a vague murmur of agreement from the others, but none of them actually made an effort to get back to training. 

“Do you think he even needs to train, anymore?” Sasha asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. A few of the others shrugged and Jean let out a little snort.

“I don’t think he  _ ever  _ had to. The guy can kill a hoard of titans by himself without breaking a sweat.” He said, shaking his head. 

“We’ll never make it to his level.” Marco sighed and leaned his elbow onto Jean’s shoulder. Jean’s hand touched his hip, briefly, before his arms were crossing over his chest again.

Just as Eren was about to say something, an unfamiliar laugh sounded around them. Harsh and loud and certainly not from someone they had ever heard before. They all jerked to follow the sound and the shock that fell over them was palpable. Up by the building, half leaned on the wall, was Levi. Curled in on himself as he laughed, nearly shaking from the force of it. Standing across from him, Erwin was chuckling as well, looking surprisingly fond and perhaps a little proud. The cadets looked around at each other, eyes wide and unsure. 

“He’s laughing.” Eren finally said, once the initial burst of noise died down and Levi had shifted to just a vague chuckle they could no longer hear. 

“I’ve never even seen him  _ smile. _ ” Sasha’s voice was hushed as she said it, despite Levi being a fair distance away and clearly not paying them any mind. “Do you think it was something Commander Erwin said?” 

“Obviously.” Mikasa’s tone was flat, could be considered uninterested if not for the way she was so intently focused on Levi and Erwin, still. 

“Commander Erwin doesn’t look shocked, do you think he gets to see the Captain laugh a lot?” Marco asked, head tilting slightly, looking around before his eyes finally landed on Jean. Jean looked at him, then shrugged. 

“Maybe. I heard they eat their meals together, I’m sure they don’t just sit in silence the whole time so he must hear him laugh sometimes.” He answered. 

“Is that why he disappears around dinner time?” Armin blurted out. “You’ve noticed it, too, haven’t you? I never see him eat. He eats with the Commander, then?” 

“I mean, where else would he be disappearing to?” Connie flopped back down onto his back, brows pinching together as he thought. 

Silence fell over the cadets for a moment, a thoughtful heaviness weighing down on them. Each of them pondering this information, letting it process completely. Levi was usually not with them when they ate, he would disappear as they were preparing to settle in for dinner then reappear in time to tell them to clean up and get to bed. And none of them had ever really questioned where he went, so was it really so difficult to believe he was sharing his meal with Erwin? 

“They say the Commander has a soft spot for Captain Levi.” Connie said slowly as he sat back up, looking up at the others around him. “...Do you think he was  _ trying  _ to make him laugh?”

The silence that answered was even more heavy. There was something so strange about that thought. Levi had never seemed particularly amicable, had never seemed too eager to have friends. Sure, it was clear he was friendly enough with Petra and Hange, but the idea of him actually being close to someone was odd. The cadets were used to him being harsh. Abrasive and even a little bit rude. Though, perhaps that made the idea of Erwin having a soft spot for him a bit easier to believe. It was no secret that the Commander liked a challenge. And Levi was nothing if not a challenge. Intelligent, strong, confident, and completely unafraid of using those traits to his own benefit. Completely unafraid of fighting back against any authority figure who tried to push him.

Any authority figure but Erwin. The more they thought about it, the more they realized they had never seen Levi fight back against anything Erwin ordered. A snarky comment, occasionally, but he always complied without any real argument. So was it really a stretch to think that he and Erwin could be close? Friends, or perhaps even more than that? 

“Hey! Get back to work all of you.” They all jerked to attention, turning to face where Levi had been. 

Erwin had disappeared, and any traces of Levi’s previous laughter was long gone as he glowered down at them. There was a hurried ‘yes sir!’ from the cadets, Sasha and Jean reaching to jerk Connie up to his feet. Levi raised an unimpressed brow at them, and they all scrambled as quickly as they could to get back to their training. 

** _III_ **

It wasn’t often that Eren was left out of Levi’s sight. And he understood it, he really did. He got why Levi still didn’t want to leave him unsupervised. He needed to be able to tell the higher ups that he was keeping an eye on him, and the only way he could do that without risking those higher ups trying to take over was to absolutely make sure he had eyes on Eren at all times. But, knowing and understanding why didn’t make it any less annoying. Eren really didn’t want to be trailing behind Levi and Petra as they made an errand trip into town, and he was sure they didn’t want him tagging along either. He’d been surprised, at first, to learn that Levi was the one going on an errand trip. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. While he and everyone else understood he was higher up than the rest of them, he had never really acted like he thought he was  _ better  _ than them. Sure, he knew he was better with the gear, better in combat, but he’d never acted like he thought he, as a human being, was more important. So knowing he was in the rotation for the errands made perfect sense. 

The town was nicer than Shiganshina had been. Not that his childhood home had been bad, not at all. This town was just clearly richer. A higher class of people living there, a more expensive selection of goods in their shop windows. Eren would have argued that the more laid back feel of Shiganshina had been better, but perhaps that was nostalgia talking. He peeked into the display windows as he passed different shops, carefully holding the bag he’d been given. Something about how if he was going to be there, he might as well help. 

Eren was distracted enough by the shop windows that he very nearly walked right into Levi. He made an undignified squawking type sound, trying desperately to keep his hold on his bag. Levi had paused outside one of the buildings, staring at the shop window. When Eren turned his head to look, he saw shelves filled with pastries and cakes. Levi, still looking at a specific pastry in the window, - though Eren couldn’t tell which one - pushed the bag he’d been holding at Eren’s chest.

“Hold this.” He demanded. “I’ll be right back. Stay with Petra.” 

Eren made another noise, trying to keep a solid hold on the bag as Levi released it and entered the shop. Eren was left standing there, gaping at the door as it shut right back in his face. He blinked once, then twice, then turned to look at Petra. She was already at the corner of the building, not blocking the window, and waiting patiently.

“...I thought the Captain hated sweet things.” Eren said, a bit awkwardly, after a moment or two.

“Hm?” Petra turned her head to look at him, then smiled. “Oh, he does. He’s getting something for Commander Erwin. He usually does.”

Eren blinked a few times while his brain struggled to wrap around that information. Captain Levi was...buying a pastry for the Commander? And it was something he did often? Why would he spend money on something like that? Eren knew the pay wasn’t exactly amazing as an officer, partially because they didn’t need it. Most of them were fed and housed by the military, they had no reason for a large pay. But Eren knew Levi didn’t like to spend money carelessly, he didn’t spend money on things they didn’t need. Partially because of listening to him, while they were out on these errand runs. Demanding they didn’t need this or that, insisting they only spend the money on what they absolutely had to have.

“Is it coming from the budget?” Eren blurted out, perhaps a bit stupidly. Petra just laughed in that good natured way of hers and shook her head.

“No, he pays for that out of his own pocket. Commander Erwin doesn’t usually do anything for himself. The man would forget to eat, entirely, if Levi didn’t remind him to.” She chuckled again, shrugging. “I think this is Levi’s way of making him take a break. A few minutes to eat something tasty that he doesn’t normally give himself, y’know?” 

Eren nodded slowly. That made sense, he supposed. But honestly, that answer didn’t exactly make the gears in his head move any more smoothly. It didn’t make it any easier to wrap his brain around this bit of information. Sure, he and the other cadets had been whispering about what Levi and Erwin might be to one another for weeks, but knowing real facts about the two was much different than their hushed talks when Levi wasn’t around to hear them. 

“The Captain and Commander Erwin, they’re…” Eren started, a little nervous and not quite able to look at Petra. She just hummed another laugh when he couldn’t continue.

“They’re close.” She confirmed. “But neither one of them is really the type to announce their personal lives, so none of us really know for sure how close they are.” 

“But they are-” Eren began, but the door to the bakery opened suddenly and Eren jerked back and away with wide eyes. Levi raised a brow, unimpressed, and brushed past the two of them.

“Let’s go.” He said, tucking a small bag into his coat. Petra popped up off the wall she was leaning against, and Eren nearly tripped in his haste to follow. 

Petra walked slowly, letting Levi get a handful of steps ahead of them as she fell into step beside Eren. She nudged him gently with her shoulder, and Eren realized suddenly that he’d been following after them with wide, shocked eyes since they had left the bakery. He cleared his throat awkwardly, shoulders hunching up by his ears, but Petra just hummed a little laugh and nudged him again.

“You get used to it, I promise.” She said. “The dynamic Levi and the Commander have, I mean.”

Eren chewed at his lip, looking towards Levi nervously before looking back towards Petra. 

“There’s a lot of talk about them.” He said, sounding about as nervous as he looked. Petra nodded.

“There’s been talk for a long time.” She said, rolling her eyes a bit. “The higher ups were angry that Levi was better than them, and that Commander Erwin respected his ability. I sort of think that’s part of why they’re close. Bonding over being looked down on.” 

“I can’t imagine anyone looking down on either of them.” Eren admitted, brows furrowing together slightly, because the very thought of it sounded absurd. 

“That’s because you’re always looking up at them.” Petra had a strangely knowing look in her eye as she smiled at him. 

Eren blinked, as if only just now realizing something obvious, and he gaped at Petra as she caught back up to Levi, ahead of him.

** _IV_ **

Jean wasn’t sure why Hange had asked him. They all knew, by now, that when Hange was in their zone then they weren’t going to be leaving their notes. Of course they all knew that. But Jean couldn’t figure out why Hange had thrust a folder of papers at  _ him _ and told him to bring it to Commander Erwin. Perhaps he had just been closest to them at the moment? No matter the reason, he was a little huffy about it. He wasn’t an errand boy, dammit. 

He was resisting the urge to grumble under his breath as he approached the door to Erwin’s office. The door must not have been shut all the way, because when Jean knocked on it, it started to creak open. Jean paused, hand raised and staring at the opening. He looked to either side, then swallowed before gently pushing it open. There was a part of him - arguably the smarter part of him - that was screaming. Insisting this was an awful idea and he shouldn’t be pushing the door any further open, shouldn’t be taking that small step inside the room. 

But, Jean also was not known for choosing the smarter options. 

Jean swallowed thickly around the nervous lump in his throat, taking that small step into the office. It was relatively late, the sun almost completely under the horizon, and the room was only lit by a few candles on the desk. He knew this was stupid, he  _ knew _ it, but even still he couldn’t stop himself from stepping even further into the office. As if his brain wasn’t attached to his legs, and he was left watching himself make stupid decision after stupid decision. 

A shuffling sound came somewhere from Jean’s left, and he jerked to find the source. On a couch pressed to the wall beside the door, he could see a figure lounged out. For a moment, he assumed it was the commander lying there. But, when he took half a step closer, he inhaled sharply and didn’t let the breath out. It wasn’t Erwin asleep on the couch, but Levi. 

His face was smoothed out, that ever present scowl gone. He looked younger, like this, and Jean suddenly felt very much like he was invading. He swallowed thickly, taking a step back and away from the couch. He very nearly let out an undignified yelp when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he jerked around to see Erwin standing behind him. Erwin lifted a hand up, pressing his finger to his lips to tell Jean to be quiet and gestured with his head for them to slip back out the door. 

Jean followed after him, trying desperately to get a grip on himself as his heart pounded away in his chest as if it were trying to break free of his ribcage. He realized, once they were standing in the hallway and Erwin had shut the door quietly, that he hadn’t actually taken a proper breath since he first saw Levi lying on the couch. He gulped down a breath or two, gaping at Erwin.

“I’m sorry, sir,” He began, wincing when his voice cracked, but Erwin chuckled and shook his head.

“It’s alright. Especially since I didn’t fully close the door when I left.” He said. “He doesn’t sleep well. I like to let him get some rest when he does.” He added, gesturing vaguely to the door. 

Eyes wide, Jean nodded slowly. He stood there just gaping at Erwin for a moment before he snapped back into focus and held out the bundle of papers he’d been given. 

“I was asked to bring these to you, sir.” He said, voice still an octave or so too high. Erwin smiled again, taking the papers from him and carefully neatening them out.

“Ah, Hange’s notes, I assume?” He asked, glancing from the papers to Jean. Jean nodded. “Good. Thank you for this, I’ve been waiting for these.” 

Jean nodded again, eyes still wide as his brain desperately tried to process everything. He stood there, feeling - and surely looking - like an idiot for a long moment before Erwin raised a brow with an amused little quirk to his lips. 

“You’re free to return to your own barracks for the night.” He said, a laugh in his voice despite the clear dismissal. Jean tensed slightly, then nodded yet again.

“Right. Sorry, sir.” He said, offering a delayed salute that was more of an afterthought than anything else. He started down the hall, listening carefully. He waited until he heard the door shut, then a few seconds more, before he took off at a run down the hall.

He crashed his way into the largest room, where they had taken to gathering before bed. The door slammed open and crashed into the wall, and he saw the others all jerk to attention. He knew he had to look crazed, must have looked like a raving madman. That thought was only confirmed when Marco nearly fell on his face to get to him, hands out but stopping before touching him as if afraid of crossing a line.

“Jean, are you okay?” He asked, his brows pinching together with worry.

“Captain Levi is asleep in the Commander’s office.” Jean blurted out, instead of answering.

There was a second of silence as his words processed, then sound erupted in the room as they all started talking. Jean shook his head, shutting the door behind him as he pushed his way to the center of the room. The group bunched around him, eyes wide and curious and all of them trying to talk over one another.

“How do you know?” Eren managed to say over the murmur of noise. 

“I saw him!” Jean answered, and everyone seemed to quiet down to hear him. “The door was open when I went to drop off those papers, and Captain Levi was out cold on his couch!”

“I kind of didn’t think he ever slept.” Connie admitted. There was a vague murmur of agreement around him.

“But in Commander Erwin’s office?” Krista asked, eyes wide and hands tangled up in Ymir’s hair, having paused in her braiding when Jean burst in. “Doesn’t he have his own office?”

“Yeah, and his own bedroom.” Mikasa answered. “And yet he’s sleeping in Commander Erwin’s office.”

“So that’s it, isn’t it?” Connie waved a hand, as if somehow expecting that to help him make his point. “That’s the proof. They’re totally a thing!” 

“Hey, it’s weird but it’s not  _ proof _ .” Jean shook his head, gesturing vaguely to Marco. “I mean, I sleep in Marco’s room all the time.” 

It was silent for a moment, Marco looking off to the side and most of them shooting pointed looks at Jean.

“Yeah. You’re just proving his point.” Eren said, and Jean’s face lit up with a blush as he sputtered at him and Marco shrank in on himself.

“But the point is, clearly Captain Levi and Commander Erwin have some sort of relationship with one another.” Armin said, holding his hands up in a placating manner in hopes of calming Eren and Jean down. “Even if it’s just being close friends, this is the proof that something is there.” 

“I’m pretty sure he sleeps in there a lot.” Jean said, face still red and seemingly desperate to get back on the topic of Levi and Erwin as opposed to himself. “Commander Erwin said something about liking to let him rest when he decides to sleep.”

“Decides might be too strong of a word. Maybe ‘passes out’ is more accurate.” Ymir said, hair still tangled up around Krista’s fingers. Krista hummed, slowly returning to her earlier task of braiding Ymir’s hair.

“Maybe he just goes there to sleep instead of his room.” She suggested. “I mean, he obviously trusts the commander to make sure nothing happens while he’s asleep.” 

She shifted a bit, getting one of her hands free so she could press it to her cheek and she let out a dreamy little sigh. 

“It’s kind of romantic, isn’t it? Trusting someone that much, feeling safe enough to sleep in their space?”she said, voice light and wistful 

It went quiet after that, a thoughtful heaviness in the air around them as they all processed that. Because...well. It  _ was  _ romantic. That Levi, notorious for being distant and not trusting anyone, would feel safe enough to be asleep in their Commander’s room. That the place he let himself be physically vulnerable wasn’t in his own bedroom, but in Erwin’s office, the place Erwin spent most of his time. There was something intimate about it, something sweet and...well. Human. 

“Yeah…” Jean finally said, quiet like he hadn’t actually realized he was speaking out loud. He tilted his head a bit, looking towards Marco with the same thoughtful look Krista’s comment had caused. Marco lifted his head, cheeks flushed a little pink. When their eyes met, Marco offered a little smile and Jean felt something click into place in his head. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of romantic.” 

** _+1_ **

It was supposed to be simple. Easy. The point of this hadn’t been anything more than practical applications of their abilities. Take out three or four titans that were lumbering about inside wall Maria. It wasn’t supposed to be overly dangerous, it wasn’t supposed to be stressful or risky. They had isolated a couple of the titans, a few that had wandered away from the main group that had trickled in through the breach. They were just meant to get in, kill those few titans, then get back. More of a training exercise than a real mission, and possibly a chance to prove to their commander that they were ready to handle more expeditions. He was there with them, after all. 

So of course something went wrong.

They had one titan left. A ten meter lumbering around by what used to be a bustling town center. Sasha had a clear shot to it’s nape, and was laughing with the others as she went to take it down. But the Titan’s head turned, completely around to face Sasha and it opened its mouth so she could land right into it. The laughter halted abruptly, as the others called out to Sasha and panic gripped at them, because they hadn’t realized this one was abnormal. It hadn’t shown any signs of being different from the others, until now. And Sasha was too close, she wouldn’t be able to get away from it in time. 

It wasn’t clear if Levi had seen it happening before the rest of them, or if he was simply that fast, but he was suddenly in the air. Slicing through the titan’s cheek to grab it’s attention and offering Sasha an extra few seconds to get away. A foolish plan, perhaps. Not thought through, running on adrenaline as opposed to actual thought, but it seemed to work. Or at the very least, it gave Sasha time to save herself. The titan’s hand lifted up, swatting the air like a person trying to swat a fly. It’s large palm smacked into Levi, and there was a chorus of cries when they saw him take the hit, his body shooting through the air in the opposite direction. 

They watched Levi attempt to right himself. Trying to use his gear to gain some stability. But the harsh hit from the titan’s hand must have broken something, because when nothing happened, Levi dropped his blades and reached to brace his head, instead. All of this happening in the span of seconds, between the titan smacking into him and Levi’s body crashing into the side of what was once a church. There was an awful sound, and they all watched on in horror as Levi’s body fell to the ground and the wall he’d hit crumbled and fell down around him.

Ultimately, it was Mikasa who killed the titan. Before it’s body had even hit the ground, they were all rushing to the church. Armin got there first, followed quickly by the other cadets and the veterans. They all immediately dropped down, hurrying to try and throw the chunks of brick out of the way, trying to dig Levi out of the pile. They could see him, limp in the rubble, and there was a scattering of voices calling out ‘Captain!’ as they struggled to get him free. 

“Move!” Erwin’s voice was firm. Steady and urgent as he pushed his way through the crowd of worried cadets. 

It didn’t take too long to get Levi out of the pile of debris. He groaned as Erwin grabbed him, pulling him carefully into his arms, and the cadets watched with bated breath to see if their Captain was okay. 

“Levi? Levi, can you hear me?” Erwin asked, voice going surprisingly soft as he cradled Levi’s face in a hand. Every touch was gentle, unsure how damaged Levi might be. His hands were in rough shape, where he had used them to protect his head. And his shoulder looked very much like it was broken. But, for the most part, he seemed far better off than one might have expected.

Levi groaned again, his face scrunching up before his eyes fluttered open. He looked dazed, his pupils dilating as he tried to focus on the face hovering over him. It took him a moment, too long really, to recognize who he was seeing. His vision was hazy and uneven, but he knew that face. Knew those pretty eyes like he knew the back of his hand. He recognized those callused fingers on his cheek and the soft voice. 

“Erwin.” He managed to choke out, and a smile broke out across Erwin’s face. Levi’s face scrunched up, and he went to try and sit up only for a sharp, intense pain to light up in his shoulder and he inhaled sharply before slumping back into Erwin’s arms. “Fuck...hurts like a bitch.”

Erwin let out a breathless, incredulous little laugh. He had seen Levi hurt before, of course. It was part of what they did. And while Levi was the most skilled soldier Erwin had ever seen, he was still only human. He still made mistakes, errors in judgement. He couldn’t always be perfect, so of course it was inevitable that he would get hurt every now and again. And every time, he had an almost bored reaction. As if even injury wasn’t enough to impress him. Erwin exhaled slowly, the relief spreading out from his core and he leaned down to rest his forehead against Levi’s.

“Don’t scare me like that.” He said quietly. But with how the cadets were all crowded around, everyone heard it. Levi let out a huff that might have been a laugh.

“You gonna’ kiss me or what, Smith?” He said. His voice was hoarse, but when he opened his eyes, they were clearer than before. He was very much aware of what was happening and where he was, even if he was still a little dazed. 

Erwin chuckled again. Still cupping Levi’s face, he leaned down the rest of the way to kiss him. It was sweet, if a little desperate. Because he had been genuinely scared. That type of force on a human body could have easily killed him. As it stood, his injuries being so minor was a miracle. And Erwin hadn’t even had to think about it before he obliged, didn’t hesitate even slightly before he kissed him. He lingered there, kissing him sweetly for a long few moments before pulling away. He brushed his thumb over Levi’s cheek, then lifted his head. 

“We’re going to need to get Captain Levi back quickly. A broken shoulder and broken gear leaves him vulnerable.” He began, only to pause when he noticed the looks on the cadets’ faces.

Eyes wide, shock and perhaps even a bit of delight in their eyes. The group of teens gaping at the two, as if they had just witnessed something far more intense than a sweet kiss. Levi groaned, trying to sit up again.

“Pay attention, brats!” He snapped, voice strained from the pain. The cadets fell into attention, though it was delayed and they were still gaping at the two men. “You keep to higher ground, there shouldn’t be anymore titans this close to the wall. Get to the gate quickly and don’t worry about me.” He demanded. 

“Yes sir.” The answering chorus was firm, even with the air of surprise and shock still evident. Levi offered them a thoroughly unimpressed look.

“And stop with those gaping looks. You’ve all been gossiping for weeks, now you’ve got your answer. Be grateful, won’t you?” He demanded.

There was a pause as the shock mounted to horror in the cadets’ eyes, and Levi groaned again as they erupted into an unintelligible buzz of apologies and explanations. He closed his eyes again, and allowed himself to slump down against Erwin’s chest again. 

By nightfall, Levi was rested in bed with his shoulder and hands wrapped. His hands were in rough shape, but not entirely broken. The same could not be said for his shoulder. The medication he’d been given for the pain left it as little more than a dull ache, though he was sure he wouldn’t be able to get comfortable any time soon. 

Erwin settled beside him, offering room for Levi to rest against his chest. It was awkward, trying to get comfortable snuggled into him, but Levi would prefer that over laying in bed alone. He closed his eyes, relaxing against Erwin’s chest as firm fingers pet through his hair. 

“They’re just going to gossip more, now, you know.” Erwin mused after a few minutes. Levi huffed. 

“I know.” He said. “I’m just hoping they’ll be less annoying about it.” 

Erwin chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated in his chest and soothed the ache Levi felt over his entire body. Again, it was quiet for a long few moments. Then, Levi felt Erwin press a kiss to his head.

“I love you, Levi.” He breathed out. A tiny smile twitched at Levi’s lips.

“Yeah.” He said, just as quiet. “I love you, too.”


End file.
